The general depiction of youngsters in our movies spawns the boisterous and easy-going variety, sans any social commitment. It is this stereotype that Avira Rebecca seeks to erase through his film ‘Pigman’ which focuses on a youngster who shows the pluck to react against all that is not right with our society.
Based on N Prabhakaran’s award-winning short story by the same name, ‘Pigman’ zooms into the life of Sreekumar (Jayasurya), a research scholar in Linguistics who, because of a series of unfortunate events, reaches a corrupt pig farm.
The director, who won the State Film Award for the best debutant director for his movie, ‘Thakarachenda’ in 2007, says, “The film unspools through the diary entries of the protagonist. I read the story ‘Pigman’ in India Today some years back, and immediately found cinematic possibilities in its storyline. Though the film is about Sreekumar, it also speaks volumes about many other relevant subjects like passion of at least a minority for Malayalam language, the corroding standards in the varsities of Kerala, the pathetic state of the patients in mental asylums, and other issues.”
Sreekumar is an aspiring youngster who is pursuing his PhD in Linguistics. His father, Achukoodam Madhavettan, a former political activist wants to make his son a scholar, despite his meagre means, because of his love for the language.
Delving deep into the film, the director says, “Sreekumar is a prototype of several people who lived around us, who have been castigated for expressing their views. Joining the university, Sreekumar finds that life is tougher than what he had anticipated. He reacts, being unable to turn a blind eye against the functioning of the system,” says Rebecca.
The director who says the story took its inspiration from the functioning of the universities of Kerala laments that they were more active in arts and literature during the 70s and 80s. “Unlike today, campuses those days were alive with creative people and politics was based on vision,” he says.
Sreekumar is unable to withstand the ways of his guide and his thesis gets rejected. He is compelled to find a job, and his friend, Sneha (Remya Nambeesan) helps him get a job in ‘Great Way’ pig farm. “Again his life is at stake at the farm, for his inability to stay mute towards the ways of its running,” says the director.
The film has several unexpected turns, and the story proceeds through a writer’s review of the diary entries.
Prabhakaran, who had earlier written the screenplay of the National Award winning film, ‘Pulijanmam’ has penned the story and screenplay. The cast includes Harisree Ashokan, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Baburaj, T P Madhavan and Reena Basheer. There are two songs penned by Santhosh Varma. While R Gautham is the music director, Tamil singer Prasanna and Praseetha have rendered the songs. The film will hit the theatres soon.